The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-04-01
civil Service Reform.

The report of the committee of the Civil
Service Reform League appeslted a year
ago to investigate the manncr in which the
Cleveland administration has lived up to its
reform professions, must be somewhat
depressing to the Mugwump statesmen
mi newspapers who have been tell
ing the country that the reform
had been making rapid advances I'M
der the fostering care of the Democracy, and
that Mr. Cleveland was justifying by his
conduct the reliance placed upon him
by the special advocates Of that reform.
Had not the facts, or the responsibility
for them, been CLOSED over it would have
been still more depressing. The commit
tee seem to have thought ii wise to let the
Mugwump admirers Of the administration
down easily So Mr.. Cleyeland's frequent
lapses are excused and palliated. Now it is
party pressure that to blame, now it is some
cabinet minister who is not sufficiently i'm
bued with the value of the reform. There
are some cases, the report admits, in which
the Presidents conduct appears inexpicable.
To excuse, however, is to accuse, and no.
body who reads the report can fail to see
that the Presidents devotion to the reform
has been expressed far more by words than
by acts, and that good many of his per-
formances have savored of rank hypocrisy.
: II Is impossible to gloss over his conduct
sufficiently to disguise the fact that the great
majority Of the offices have been given to
Democrats, not on account of their fitness,
but because they had worked efficiently for
the election of some senator or representa-
ar nr Il
possible with all Of Mr.. Curtis's skill to OBJ
sure the fact that some of the most impor-
tant appointments in the Treasury depart
ment have been dictated by one of the most
corrupt and shameless spoilsmen of the
country-Senator German of Maryland
and that too against the organized
protest of a Civil Service reform as
ISOLATION. 1t is impossible to keep it
from the public view that the Postmaster
General sent circular of instruction to
Democrats throughout the country, suggest
ing that charges be manufactured against
Republicans in the postal service for the sole
purpose Of turning them cut and putting
Democratic henchmen in their places. 1t is
impossible to deny that the Indiana Offices
have been filed with as worthless set Of
men as the Democratic party of that State
afforded, some of them ex-jailbirds and con-
victs. 1t is impossible to explain the rein
statement Of Benton, and the refusal to re-
instate Stone, except on the old spoils theory
that the victors are entitled to the offices and
entitled to use them for political purposes if
only the political purpose be to strengthen
the grip Of the administration. Indeed
many of these things the report does not at
tempt to palliate or deny. All it seeks to do
Is to excuse the President of blame for them
by placing the responsibility on his wicked
partnership Democratic party and the
Democratic heads of departments. But be-
fore election we were told that Mr.. Cleveland
was proof against pressure, and that he
would certainly surround himself with adj
visers devoted to the reform. He has not
been so nor done so. Then why excuse
him9 Why seek to place upon his subordn-
ates, whom he creates and has the power to
remove, the responsibility of repudiating
reform to which certainly he allowed it to be
understood that he Lad pledged himself?
There is no reason except that the Mug
wumps, having supported him and warrant
ed him to the country to be a true blue civil
service reformer, hate to admit that they
were deceived and that their warranty has
been dishonored